“Patent Troll,” or Non-Practicing Entity (NPE), is a derogatory term used to label people or companies that exploit patents as a business strategy. A patent troll acquires patents to make profits by bringing patent infringement lawsuits. Rather than actually going through lawsuits, trolls seek to extort early settlements by filing frivolous suits and asking relatively small sums. One federal district court has defined a patent troll as “somebody who tries to make a lot of.. Read More

David Shields is the bestselling author of twenty books, including The Thing About Life Is That One Day You’ll Be Dead, and Reality Hunger: A Manifesto, which was named one of the best books of 2010 by more than thirty publications. His essays and stories have appeared in Harper’s, McSweeney’s, and Slate, and his writing frequently addresses issues of copyright and the legality of artistic appropriation. His most recent release, War Is Beautiful, analyzes.. Read More